Strongman Saturdays

Ingela Ringbjer

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- On Saturday mornings at Golden West College,

athletes can be found pulling trucks, carrying boulders, stacking tractor

tires or performing a number of other extreme feats of strength.

In the spirit of ESPN’s “World’s Strongest Man” contest, Coach Greg Clark

holds Strongman Saturday training sessions from 9 to 11 a.m. for two or

three dozen of the college’s football players, a few weight lifters and

anyone else who wants to participate.

“Obviously the Strongman competition [on ESPN] was my initial

motivation,” Clark said.

Clark designed each week’s training session to be different. One week

might be pulling trucks, another could be carrying heavy dumbbells for

distance. And each one is voluntary.

“This is just for our benefit,” Enrique Lopes, 20, said. “If we want to

get stronger, besides [using] the weight room, we come out here and do it

on Saturdays.”

The freshman football player said the Strongman workout, which

complements the players’ required weightlifting workouts and regular

football practice, helped him recover more quickly from a knee injury. He

has also gained about 20 pounds of muscle in the two months that he’s

been participating, he said.

“Weightlifting is good for overall strength; this type of training you

can bring out in the real world,” Clark said.

After a couple of months under Clark’s Strongman training, most athletes

agree that the training makes them stronger and tougher on the field.

“It pushes me, and I think it’s going to really help me in football,”

Chris Harrington, 18, said. “It’s really challenging.”

Clark and the football players hope the extra training helps them break

last year’s losing streak.

“Things just weren’t working out,” Clark said. “But that’s primarily why

I’m here because if anything can make a difference, the strength training

will.”

The team’s first game is set for Sept. 9, but that won’t be the first

time they put their Strongman skills to the test. Clark is organizing the

“Big Man Competition,” a contest of many of the Strongman Saturday

events, he said. The competition will be open to the public, but the

athletes who have been attending the Saturday sessions will have an

advantage, he said.